1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a motor vehicle having alternate power sources including a direct current voltage storage device and a combustible fuel storage device and more particularly relates to a hybrid electric vehicle having separate storage devices for a combustible fuel produced by a fuel converter from a composition combustible fuel and for direct current voltage and wherein a control device that is operatively connected to a direct current motor and to a combustible material or combustible fuel engine, selectively applies at least one of a first control signal to the direct current motor and a second control signal to a combustible material motor or combustible fuel engine to enable a driving system driving the hybrid electric vehicle to be powered or driven by at least one of the direct current voltage and the combustible material or combustible fuel generated from a composition combustible fuel.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Hybrid electric vehicles powered by direct current motors using batteries as energy devices and internal combustion engines powered by gasoline are well known in the prior art. Examples of electric vehicles are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,343,970 and 4,099,589. U.S. Pat. No. 5,343,970 discloses a hybrid electric vehicle and U.S. Pat. No. 4,099,589 discloses an electric car, each of which have a gasoline powered internal combustion gasoline engine and an electric motor which is powered by direct current stored in batteries.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,875,691 discloses a hybrid drive system for outputting the power of an internal combustion engine and the power of a motor generator through a transmission to drive the vehicle.
Numerous methods have been proposed to manage the stored electrical power in hybrid vehicle to improve both operating performance and driving range. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,820,172 discloses an operating strategy for a hybrid electric vehicle that manages the flow of energy to both supply the motive demand power of the hybrid electric vehicle and to maintain the charge of the energy storage system.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,780,980 discloses an electric car drive system having a car drive motor powered by a mounted direct current power supply and a control system including a signal generating means to generate signals which control motor speed. The direct current power supply is composed of a power battery having secondary cells connected to the motor and an energy battery formed by fuel cells connected in parallel to the power battery via an energy battery control switch. The electric vehicle includes a charge control means to keep the charge on the power battery using the energy batteries if the charge of the power battery is below a specified value.
Motor vehicles having alternate source of power other than batteries for powering a motor vehicle are known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,399,251 discloses a system for generating hydrogen and oxygen using water in a tank having a solid polyelectric film which separates the tank into operating sections and uses electrodes for generating hydrogen. The power generating system is a separate power source and generates a second combustible fuel which is mixed together, with gasoline as a first composition combustible fuel to power a motor vehicle using an internal combustion engine.
Motor vehicles have also used propane gas stored in a pressurized tank and as an alternative to gasoline as alternate sources of fuel to power an internal combustion engine for driving the vehicle.
In hybrid electric vehicles and in electric cars, the batteries function as a direct current voltage storage device. The batteries are typically charged prior to use using an alternating current and known battery charging systems using alternating current-to-direct current converters. Internal combustion engines may be used to drive battery-charging circuits and/or direct current voltage generators as means for maintaining a charge on the batteries during operation of the vehicle. Fuel cells, forming part of an energy battery, are connected in parallel to the power battery via an energy battery control switch. Fuel cells have been used for maintaining a charge on the power battery.
Due to the absence of standard methods and apparatus for charging batteries in hybrid electric vehicles and electric cars, different manufacturers of electric vehicles use different charging circuits thereby requiring the user to locate and use a charging system designed for the vehicle. This results in an inconvenience to the user, one of many objections and reasons inhibiting use of electric vehicles.
Another problem associated with prior art electric vehicles is the inefficient use of fuel cells that convert hydrogen into electricity for charging the batteries.
Further, there is not a standard method, apparatus or system available for offering alternative standardized electrical energies or combustible fuels for charging or servicing a hybrid electric vehicle or electric car which are equivalent to services offered in service stations for standard gas or diesel powered motor cars using internal combustion engines.
The present invention discloses and teaches a new, novel and unique hybrid electric vehicle having alternate power sources for powering or driving a hybrid electric vehicle. This invention enables the hybrid electric vehicle to be serviced using a standard alternating current source, a standard direct current source and/or a standard combustible fuel source.
The hybrid electric vehicle of the present invention includes an alternating current to direct current converter for producing and storing a direct current voltage in a direct current voltage storage device. A fuel converter that receives a composition fuel in a first state converts the fuel into a combustible material or combustible fuel in a second state and the combustible material or combustible fuel in said second state is stored in a combustible material or combustible fuel storage device. A driving system that transports the hybrid electric vehicle includes a direct current motor, which is operatively coupled to the driving system and to the direct current voltage storage device. The direct current motor is responsive to the stored direct current voltage for driving the driving system in response to a first control signal. A combustible material motor or combustible fuel engine is operatively coupled to the driving system and is responsive to the stored combustible material or combustible fuel in the second state for driving the driving system in response to a second control signal. A control device is operatively connected to the direct current motor and to the combustible material or combustible fuel engine.to selectively apply at least one of the first control signal to the direct current motor and the second control signal to the combustible material or combustible fuel engine to enable the driving system to be driven by at least one of the direct current voltage and the combustible material or combustible fuel.
In addition, a new and novel method of driving or powering a motor vehicle with alternate fuel sources is disclosed and taught by the present invention. The method comprises the steps of producing with an alternating current to direct current converter a direct current voltage; storing the direct current voltage in a direct current voltage storage device; receiving with a fuel converter a fuel in a first state and converting the fuel into a combustible material in a second state; storing the combustible material in the second state in a combustible material storage device; transporting with a driving system the motor vehicle wherein the driving system includes a direct current motor operatively coupled to the direct current voltage storage device and the direct current motor is responsive to stored direct current voltage for driving the driving system in response to a first control signal and a combustible material motor operatively coupled to the driving system is responsive to stored combustible material in the second state for driving the driving system in response to a second control signal; and selectively applying with a control device operatively connected to the direct current motor and to the combustible material motor at least one of the first control signal to the direct current motor and the second control signal to the combustible material motor to enable the driving system to be driven by at least one of the direct current voltage and the combustible material.
In the method, the step of selectively applying may include the control device selectively applying both the first control signal to the direct current motor and the second control signal to the combustible material engine to enable the driving system to be concurrently driven by the direct current voltage and the combustible material.
The problem associated with the absence of standard methods for charging batteries in a hybrid electric vehicle is overcome by use of a direct current voltage storage device and a combustible fuel storage device wherein the alternative energy sources are prestored and available in the hybrid electric vehicle prior to use.
A service facility for a hybrid electric vehicle utilizing the teachings of the present invention may offer any one of or all of the following energies: (i) an alternating current, such as for example a 120/240 volt, 60 hertz, single phase, alternating current or a 120/240 volt, 60 hertz, three phase alternating current or a 120/208 volt, 60 hertz three phase alternating current, which can be plugged into the hybrid electric vehicle or electric car to charge the direct current voltage storage device such as for example, a battery, and/or power a fuel converter to produce and store a combustible fuel in a combustible fuel storage device; (ii) a direct current voltage having a standard electrical characteristic, say for example, 12 volts DC, for directly charging a power battery thereby eliminating or bypassing the need for an AC/DC converter, the specifications of which may vary by manufacturer; (iii) filling or charging a combustible fuel storage device directly with a combustible fuel which would otherwise be produced by a composition combustible fuel converter from a composition combustible fuel; or (iv) a composition combustible fuel, such as gasoline or other similar composition combustible fuel.
Thus, different charging circuits from different manufacturers will no longer pose a problem because a standard 120/240 volts, 60 Hertz alternating current source may be used to charge the direct current voltage storage device, e.g. battery and the combustible material storage device can be charged with a combustible fuel, e.g. hydrogen in a pressurized tank.
The prior art problems of the battery being discharged during use or operation is overcome by use a combustible fuel storage device that can be replenished during use by a fuel cell or fuel converter using an organic fuel, such as for example methanol, and the converter converts the same to a combustible fuel, such as for example hydrogen, which is stored, used to recharge a battery or drive the combustible engine depending on the power needs.
As improved fuel cells are developed, the types of fuel that can be used to generate the hydrogen or other combustible fuel will become more extensive. Such known fuels include gasoline, hydrolysis of water, pure hydrogen and methanol or other composition combustible fuels that can be converted into a combustible fuel to power recharging of a battery or as fuel for a combustible fuel engine.
As economical and safe minirefineries are developed that can be installed into hybrid electric vehicles for use in converting fuels into hydrogen or other combustible fuels, such as for example to convert methanol into hydrogen to feed a fuel cell or for use as a combustible fuel to power a vehicle, the use of a separate fuel converter and combustible fuel storage device, as disclosed and taught herein, results in an effective system for powering a hybrid electric vehicle for alternative fuel sources. Such hybrid electric vehicles can be serviced by a service facility offering the alternative fuels in the same manner as gasoline service stations offer multi-grade unleaded fuels for gasoline motor vehicles and diesel fuel for motor vehicles.
None of the known prior art anticipate, disclose, teach or suggest a hybrid electric vehicle having a driving system driven by a direct current motor powered by a battery and a internal combustion engine powered by a combustible fuel and a battery charging device adapted to be connected to a source of alternating current for charging the battery and wherein the hybrid electric vehicle comprises a fuel converter for receiving a composition combustible fuel in a first state and converting the composition combustible fuel into a combustible material in a second state and for storing the combustible material in the second state in a combustible material storage device. Further, the prior art does not disclose, teach or suggest a control device that is operatively connected to and controls the direct current motor for driving the driving system in response to a first control signal and the combustible material engine powered from a separate combustible material storage device for driving the driving system in response to a second control signal. The control device is adapted to selectively applying at least one of the first control signal to the direct current motor and the second control signal to the combustible material engine to enable the driving system to be driven by at least one of the direct current voltage and the combustible material.
Therefore, one advantage of hybrid electric vehicle of the present invention is that fuel converter is adapted to receive a composition combustible fuel stored in the vehicle in a first state and to convert the composition combustible fuel into a combustible material in a second state and for storing the combustible material in the second state in a combustible material storage device. The vehicle can use either or both power sources for driving or powering the vehicle.
Another advantage of the present invention is that the combustible fuel converter is responsive to a source of alternating current for converting the composition combustible fuel into a combustible material in a second state and for storing the combustible material in the second state in a combustible material storage device.
Another advantage of the present invention is that a service facility can offer an alternating current voltage, a direct current voltage and a combustible fuel to charge or fill each of the separate storage devices which are separate from a standard composition combustible fuel storage tank which stores a standard composition combustible fuel such as gasoline, methanol or the like.
A still another advantage of the present invention is that the hybrid electric vehicle control device controls the alternating current source to enable the battery charger to charge the battery to a desired charging level and the fuel converter to fill the combustible fuel storage device to a desired volume level.
A still another advantage of the present invention is that the control device in the hybrid electric vehicle can concurrently apply the first control signal to the direct current motor and the second control signal to the combustible material engine to enable the driving system to be driven by both said direct current voltage and said combustible material.
A still yet another advantage of the present invention is that a novel method of driving a motor vehicle with alternate fuel sources is disclosed and taught by the present invention.